Retail investors angrily accuse SpaceX of being a scam! Sky-high IPO hijacks American 401(k) retirement funds, Musk criticized for treating the stock market as a casino

According to The Guardian, SpaceX completed a historic IPO with a valuation of up to $1.77 trillion, not only propelling Elon Musk to become the world's first "trillionaire," but also sparking strong backlash among the American public. Due to SpaceX's unusual early inclusion in index funds, millions of Americans' 401(k) retirement savings are now deeply tied to its stock price and the AI bubble, leading retail investors to criticize this as a "ridiculous scam."
(Background: SpaceX COO hints at possible merger with Tesla; first AI computing satellite to launch by late 2027)
(Additional context: SpaceX options trading exploded on debut, with 1.6 million contracts, topping US stock market volumes! Market cap temporarily surpassed Amazon)

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• Retirement funds forced to pay the price, retail investors become pawns in a giant gamble
• Extreme wealth concentration rings alarm bells, protests over divestment ensue
• Passive investing becomes a stepping stone for tech giants' expansion

The space exploration giant SpaceX officially went public on June 12, 2026, with an astonishing valuation of $1.77 trillion, directly making Elon Musk the world's first "trillionaire." However, this Wall Street capital frenzy is seen by millions of ordinary Americans as an unavoidable financial nightmare.

According to an in-depth report published by The Guardian on the 19th, most Americans' retirement funds are invested in the stock market through private plans like 401(k)s, closely following major index funds such as the S&P 500. Under Musk's vigorous promotion, market rules have changed, allowing SpaceX to be included in mainstream index funds earlier than usual; this means that even if ordinary retail investors do not directly buy SpaceX stock, their lifelong retirement savings have been indirectly "forced to bind" with the company and the feverish AI bubble.

Retirement funds forced to pay the price, retail investors become pawns in a giant gamble

The Guardian gathered feedback from over 150 American readers, most of whom expressed strong resentment and unease. California engineer Tim, 62, angrily said, "I never wanted to participate in the so-called AI bubble. My entire retirement fund is in the S&P 500, and that’s not really my choice. If you don’t invest in stocks, you fall behind—that’s the evil of it. Ordinary people can’t diversify risk; we’ve all been pushed into a giant gamble."

This lack of accountability in the massive tech monopoly has left many nearing retirement feeling terrified. Washington State professor Matt Reynolds, 57, criticized, "Why should my finances be tied to a racist, narcissistic, and immature man? He seems to care nothing about other humans. This is all wrong." Michigan engineer Stephen, 33, also bluntly stated that SpaceX's valuation is completely absurd and disconnected from actual value, and binding lifelong savings to these morally directionless corporate leaders makes him feel sick.

Wealth concentration rings alarm bells, protests over divestment ensue

This IPO is not only a historic event in financial markets but also triggers deep social anxiety over inequality. Climate activist Kendra Ford, 54, pointed out painfully that while Musk rapidly gets rich through the financial system, most Americans face wage injustice and struggle to afford food and healthcare; she warned that this profound moral failure could push society toward serious unrest.

Extreme wealth concentration has even led some retail investors to "substantive resistance." Mia, a 58-year-old writer from Washington D.C., chose not to invest in stocks at all, calling it a "ridiculous scam," and sarcastically suggested that using that money to clean the planet would be much easier than going to Mars. Meanwhile, Denver-based retiree Pedro has already withdrawn all his funds from index funds, attempting to send a protest signal to those "who think they rule the world."

Passive investing becomes a stepping stone for tech giants' expansion

Although a few, like 52-year-old political scientist Dimitris Eleas, still admire SpaceX's achievements in space industry and AI technology, they also feel extremely uneasy about the excessive concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few tech giants.

The report concludes that as the US stock market rapidly tilts toward AI and cutting-edge technology trends, millions of Americans relying on passive investments have inevitably become the foundation supporting these tech giants' expansion. When the public’s lifelong savings and the wild ambitions of a single entrepreneur are forcibly deeply intertwined, the deep social anxiety triggered by SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO may pose hidden risks to the future stability of the US economy and capital markets.